This invention relates to a method and apparatus for storing and displaying merchandise, and more particularly, relates to a merchandise display rack that holds merchandise items on shelves while displaying the items on the shelf.
Many different types of display racks have been used to display merchandise items in stores. Typically, these display racks include vertically spaced, horizontally oriented shelves forming storage bins for holding and storing such merchandise items. Below or beside these shelves are vertical display panels which show a sample of the item stored on the shelf. Other display racks such as those shown in U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 296,280 are racks that hold books, tapes and records but do not provide panels for displaying items on those racks.
A drawback to conventional racks is that when both storing and displaying the merchandise on one rack, a great deal of floor space is used up by the rack. In department stores and showrooms, floor space is at a premium. Consequently, the display space is not often provided to indicate what is on an adjacent shelf. Thus, the customer is forced to rummage through bins to find the desired merchandise item.
Another drawback to convention display racks is that when the merchandise items are changed with new inventory, the rack positioning and the subsequent display panels must be changed. As the display and the shelf are often located in different places on the rack, this is time consuming. Further, the store clerk may misplace the items on the shelf with the items being displayed. Misplacement of items causes confusion to the customer.
Another problem with convention display racks is that the size of the merchandise item being stored may change with new inventory. Consequently, the distance between the shelves must be changed as well as the position of the display. Often, due to the general rack and display, the position of the shelves and the display panels cannot often be changed. This forces the store clerk to place fewer items on the shelf forcing the clerk to constantly replenish items in the storage bin as they are sold.
Finally, when the merchandise items must be replenished, the positioning of the display creates difficulties in removing items from the bins. Thus, when the shelves are replenished, the clerk must spend a great deal of time moving the shelves around to re-stock the storage bins.